Protesters storm Belarus government HQ

Thousands of protesters have tried to storm the government headquaters building in the Belarus capital Minsk.

Angry at the likely result of the country’s presidential election, protesters smashed windows and the doors of the building before being pushed back by riot police.

The object of their affection is President Alexander Lukashenko who exit polls show has just won his fourth term in office. The only problem with his reign is that international observers rate Lukashenko’s fairness in elections stats as 0-4 so far.

Earlier in the day police broke up an opposition election rally and also succeeded in breaking the head of opposition candidate Vladimir Neklyaev.

But by late evening at least 10,000 protesters had gathered in central Minsk, denouncing the elections as fraudulent.

They probably shouted a whole lot of other stuff as well but most of it would not have been fit for general exhibition. The demonstrators then tried to storm the government building but only ended up getting tenderised by riot batons.

Some observers saythe Belarus authorities had lightened up the opposition clamp down that normally goes with Belarus elections. They allowed activists to collect signatures, perform protest songs and read anti-government poetry. Letting the poetry go ahead is a bit quaint. Not many elections around the world feature poetry anymore.

President Alexander Lukashenko talking to reporters last week said “There will definitely be political changes”. Newswarped is thinking that most of the political changes will be in the opposition ranks. Some might disappear and some might have an unintended change of address.